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TECH NEWS
2021 Adidas Gravel Shoe 1Adidas unveils the Gravel Shoe with laces and internal sock-like construction
Adidas has launched a laced Gravel Shoe that’s designed to provide a stylish and robust option for the rapidly growing gravel cycling community. Don’t worry, there’s a subtler non-90s looking design too.
> Best clipless gravel shoes you can buy - tried and tested for winter and summer riding
Adidas says that the 2-bolt SPD compatible Gravel Shoe features reinforced materials in the upper and an internal sock construction that is designed to offer improved protection against the elements, dust and dirt.
The off-road shoes feature classic lacing, which is in keeping with the trend of using this closure style for gravel shoes. Specialized, for example, added laces to its S-Works Recon gravel shoes last month.
TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) "pods" are included on the outsole for easy walking and the forefoot is intended to be slightly roomier than usual, intended to help you negotiate terrain off the gravel bike.
> 19 of the best 2021 gravel bikes & adventure road bikes
Adidas’s signature 3-stripe design is reflective for a touch of visibility when riding in low light conditions.
The Gravel Shoe also aligns with Adidas’s sustainability objectives to end its plastic waste, as it’s made with Primegreen, a series of high-performance recycled materials, featuring an upper made with at least 50% recycled content. No virgin polyester is used, says the brand.
The Gravel Shoe is Adidas’s latest addition to its cycling footwear family after its 15 year hiatus, sitting alongside the laced Road Shoe and the city-going Velosamba SPD cycling shoes.
“The range has been created to offer accessible, aesthetically versatile footwear and apparel to a rapidly growing generation of new cyclists,” says Adidas.
Priced at £160, the Gravel Shoe is available in two colourways: vivid Pulse Aqua, Core Black, Sonic Ink or just good ol' Core Black.
The Gravel Shoe is exclusively available to purchase online at www.adidas.co.uk/cycling-shoes and via the adidas app.
Anna has been hooked on bikes ever since her youthful beginnings at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit. As an avid road and track racer, she reached the heady heights of a ProCyclingStats profile before leaving for university. Having now completed an MA in Multimedia Journalism, she’s hoping to add some (more successful) results. Although her greatest wish is for the broader acceptance of wearing funky cycling socks over the top of leg warmers.
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17 comments
If they'd just took their 3-bolt road shoe and did a 2-bolt SPD version I'd be interested, especially as they do them in loads of different colours. These look a bit more enduro mountain bike boot than gravel/road. The neoprene sock thing is not needed. It's the first thing that wears out.
I've had adidas MTB shoes in the past which were really good. Their colour schemes then were a bit wacky too.
I'd really like to see more 2 bolt road shoes in general. Like many, I opted for SPD for my first clipless pedals because I liked the idea of being able to clip in on either side. 10 years later and I've never felt the need to move to road cleats, but would like to have better options than just buying MTB shoes. I've just bought a pair of Giro Republic knit which are the closest thing I've had to road shoes, but would love to see more options that combine the walkability and cleat durability of SPD (for the walking bits of my commute) with a more breathable road upper. Is that niche?
Absolutely awful.
What's remarkable his how similar this shoe looks to the basic model of the football shoes that it sells hundreds of millions of. E.g Adidas Predator, Adidas X.Ghost etc.....and yet we are to believe it has specialised uh....."gravel" proprietary design and of course could not be cheaper than 150-200 quid.
Curiously I recently bought football shoes from Adidas that as basically this, substitue 2-bolt cleat plate for the football studs/cleats on the bottom plate. For under 50 quid.
Clearly Adidas view cyclists as gullible and rich.
When my son started road cycling (I think with size 2 feet back then), he used toe clips and needed suitable shoes with rigid soles and a reasonably durable upper. I got some football / rugby boots with screw-in studs from a charity shop, removed the studs and lo and behold...
Imagine how fancy the turqouise shoes would look after you've trodden and ridden through a few muddy puddles or meadows.
Giro Empire clone?
I like the look of these but there is no mention of weight anywhere.
I wouldn't expect them to be super light or anything but it would be nice to know so I can compare to other brands.
Reminded me of the Adidas Eddy Merckx Pros I had back in the nineties;
Those treads look terrible for UK 'gravel' which we like to call mud for 2/3rds of the year.
Have they accidentally used the treads from their Golf range?
And here begineth the grand debate of what "gravel" is in the UK...though I'd agree that tread is rubbish regardless
But Imo gravel is not just MTB-lite
Agreed. But gross simplifications helped me make a sarky point.
OO fancy!
I didn't even know Adidas were still in the cycling clothing game... 226 cycling related products on their website says they are.
Just a shame so much of its hit and miss stuff, so they keep volumes down but sell out all the stuff you do want, end up with lots of stuff you dont, and the marketeers conclude cycling isnt a thing for Adidas again, till 5 years down the line they repeat it all again.
Adidas bought Five Ten in 2011. Five Ten has made MTB shoes for ages and I think has an OK reputation. I have Freerider Pro flat shoes for everyday wearing and riding (I'm wearing them now!), and I really like them. Interesting that these are Adidas branded, however.
There's a lot of crossover between Adidas, FiveTen, and Terrex. Very comprehensive range for off-road use and even some of the hike and golf shoes could do duty as a flat pedal shoe/boot.
The cuff looks similar to last year's FiveTen Mid pro and it's really good at keeping stones and dust out. Water not so much but there are goretex versions across the range now.
I wonder about their strategy for these brands. As you say, they seem to be using the same factories, supply chains, website etc.. And my FiveTen (no space!) shoes have a little Adidas logo on the tongue. Maybe, like Awavey says above, they think that "gravel is not just MTB-lite", so didn't make these shoes a FiveTen product. Or maybe they would rather everything was called Adidas but don't want to alienate their existing mountainbiking/hiking/rock climbing customers.